Two weeks

TLC Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, P.A. YOUR TODDLER AT 18 MONTHS
FEEDINGS
Most children have enough teeth for chewing at this age, but still be careful to guard against choking by avoiding hard airway size food such as peanuts, hard candy, raw carrots, grapes, popcorn etc. Milk and dairy products are still required, but should be limited to 16 to 24 oz. per day. Avoid excess salt and concentrated sugar. Your baby should definitely be off the bottle at this age; the longer you wait to stop the bottle, the harder it will be on you and your baby. The main purpose of juices at this age is to help prevent constipation; while any may help, white grape, apple, pear and prune juice are the most effective at dealing with hard/infrequent stools. DEVELOPMENT
At this age most children can follow directions, feed themselves, locate body parts correctly, climb stairs, and communicate with simple words. Also most can hold a regular cup without help and drink that without spilling. Children can walk all the way across a large room without falling. MEDICATIONS
Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) according to the charts below: Tylenol (acetaminophen)
**May give every 4 hours**
Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen)
**May give every 6 hours**
As we indicated in the 15 month handout, follow the dosing guidelines for OTC “cold medications.” You can access the dosing guidelines on our website or ask for a copy in the office. Your child should be sleeping in his own bed and sleeping through the night. Bedtime should be enforced after familiar routine is complete. At this age most children need to come out of the crib. If the child can climb out of the crib or he is 35 inches tall, he should not be in a crib. Once the child is put to bed, he should not be allowed out of his bed. If your child continues to come out of his room, return him quietly without conversation, skip the hugging and kissing. Hold the door closed for a few minutes if necessary. Consistency will prevail. TLC Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, P.A. DISCIPLINE
At this age, the concept of NO should be taking hold in the child. Some children can begin “time-out” at this age, but I generally recommend instituting “time-out” around age 2 years. Temper tantrums should be ignored; if you interact with a child having a tantrum, it will re-enforce the behavior. If you child is throwing a tantrum, just place him on the floor where he can not hurt himself and walk away. If you have trouble doing this or have questions about how to react to certain behaviors, just ask Dr. Lacy or Dr. Elias. RECOMMENDATIONS
 Make sure your house is SAFE!  If you have a pool at home, make sure you have a secure baby fence in place AND schedule swim lessons  Always use car restraints  Know CPR  If your home is bilingual, start both languages NOW…. you can interchange the languages in a single conversation, but complete a sentence in one language before switching.  Continue dental care  Always use sunscreen in Florida!!  Good handwashing is important to minimize illnesses at home Have the number for The Poison Information Center available: 1-800-222-1222
IMMUNIZATIONS
Flu (seasonal) – influenzae “flu” is recommended for all children this age and is given in the fall The next visit is at 2 years of age. Please schedule this appointment today.

Source: http://www.tlcpediatricsorlando.com/images/website308/18mostlcrev10.pdf